


Family

by Icka M Chif (mischif)



Category: Motorcity
Genre: Conversations, Family, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-16
Updated: 2012-09-16
Packaged: 2017-11-14 09:57:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/514006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mischif/pseuds/Icka%20M%20Chif
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike discovers Chuck has family in Motorcity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family

**Author's Note:**

> Random plunnie. Partly from my own observations, partly from [this doodle from the MC Writer's room](http://peopleofmotorcity.tumblr.com/post/27159139891/little-doodle-from-the-mc-writers-room-what%22%22) of a young Deluxian Chuck.

* * *

Mike inclined his head at the Duke of Detroit before turning to make his leave. Dealing with the Duke was a bit like dealing with a rattle snake. He might help, he might not, he might try to bite them in the ass.

Fortunately, this time the Duke had been somewhat helpful, and he was happy to get out of there before the Duke pulled one of his mercurial mood swings. “C’mon, Chuck. Let’s get this news to Jules.”

Chuck nodded, turning to follow. “Right.”

“Wait.” The Duke’s voice echoed through the room. Chuck squeaked and Mike hid a flinch as he turned. The Duke was leaning forward in his throne, peering at them over his sunglasses.

Correction, peering at Chuck with rapt interest.

“Chuck, did you say?” The Duke drawled, and Mike could feel the hairs on the back of his neck crawl. “As in ‘Charles’?”

“As in ‘Charlemagne’, yes.” Chuck sighed, running a hand through his hair, revealing an eye. “Hi, Uncle D.” He said, his tone torn between amused and resigned.

“CHARLES!” The Duke stood up, throwing his cape off, a huge grin on his face that made Mike want to run. The Duke jumped off his throne, landing with his arms outreached. “How ya doin’, my boy?! Come here and give your Ol’Uncle D a hug!”

“I’m fine, Uncle D.” Chuck said, stepping forward and giving the Duke a hug, patting the man on the back. The Duke swung Chuck around in a circle, feet flying in the air as Chuck gave a nervous laugh.

"I'm surprised you even remember me!" The Duke exclaimed, setting Chuck down on his feet, resting his hands on Chuck's shoulders as he looked him over. "You must have been... What? Five? The last time I saw you?"

"Six." Chuck corrected. "And you're kind of hard to forget."

The Duke laughed. "True. Look how tall you've gotten! You've taken after your Mother and my side of the family in that. Although..." He reached up and flicked Chuck's hair out of his face, the Duke's expression turning into a frown. "You've got your father's face.... Ah, well. Can't be helped. Not everyone could have _my_ good looks. Tell me, how is my Big Sister doing?"

Now that he was actually looking at them side by side, Mike could see the similarities. It wasn't just the blond hair, they had the same build; broad shoulders, long legs, narrow hips, and extreme flexibility. Same loud vocal projection ability too. 

"Um. She's dead." Chuck rubbed the back of one arm nervously. "They both are. They died together a couple of years after we last saw you. An accident, I was told."

"Oh..." The Duke seemed to deflate a bit in the face of the news, almost sagging against Chuck. "I'm... sorry to hear that."

Chuck reached up and patting the Duke's hand on his shoulder. "Sorry to bring you bad news." He said quietly.

"It's fine." The Duke waved it away, releasing Chuck and stepping away, one hand covering his face. "We had our differences, of course, but she was my sister."

"Yeah." Chuck nodded, his posture slumping inwards, radiating misery. Mike wanted to go over and put an arm around him, but this was between Chuck and the Duke, he wasn't sure how it would be taken right now.

"Well." The Duke straighted, tall and flamboyant. "These things happen. And you're here now! My nephew! My only surviving kin! No wonder you beat me in that race! No hard feelings about that, by the way."

"Thanks." Chuck waved it off, rubbing his arm again. "Anyway, we should head out, the information's kind of time sensitive and all..." He trailed off with a nervous chuckle.

"Right." The Duke wrapped an arm around Chuck's shoulders, making Chuck squeak slightly. "In the future, anything you need, just ask Uncle D. Can't have family running around Motorcity without resources, that'd be crazy!"

Chuck laughed, high pitched and completely all wrong. "You got it. Nice seeing you, Uncle D."

"Good seeing you too my boy." The Duke ruffled Chuck's hair and let him go. Chuck nodded, smoothing his hair out as he walked back to Mike, reaching out and patting Mike on the shoulder, a silent signal for him to start moving. Mike glanced back at the Duke once more, who was standing tall, watching Chuck leave with a look Mike couldn't quite decipher.

For the first time since Mike had met the Duke, the Duke looked old.

Mike nodded once more and picked up the pace, catching up to Chuck. who had his head slightly bowed, hair covering his face. They walked in silence until they got in Mutt, fastening their seat-belts.

"You could have stayed longer, if you wanted." Mike said quietly. "It's not that time crucial."

Chuck shook his head, his mouth tight. Mike made an inquiring sound before starting Mutt up, but Chuck didn't say anything. Mike pulled away, driving slightly slower than normal, his attention split between his best friend and the road.

"Are you _sure_ you want to come back with us?" Mike finally asked. "I mean, he is your family."

There was a lot that the Duke could offer Chuck that he couldn't. The Burners tended lived hand to mouth, constantly scraping to get by, where as the Duke was one of the major powerhouses in Motorcity. Programmers were needed everywhere, Chuck would probably be a lot safer within the walls of the Duke's palace. 

"Bro..." Chuck shook his head, giving a soft huff of amusement. He reached over the centre console, putting his hand on Mike's arm and giving it a squeeze. "As sappy as it sounds, I _am_ going home to my family."

Mike couldn't help the grin that stretched across his face, a warm feeling in his chest at Chuck's words. Chuck laughed, flipping his hair out of his face for a moment so Mike could see his eyes, crinkled with amusement and affection.

"Thanks for the offer, but no." Chuck gave his arm another squeeze before letting it go. "I tried to contact him the first few weeks I was down here. He said no one related to him would ever be asking for _help_ and sent me away."

"How old were you?" Mike inquired. They didn't talk about the past that much, or their families. There was a lot about Chuck he still didn't know.

"Dunno. Not quite a teenager yet." Chuck waved it off. "Jacob found me a little while later. He gave me a safe place to stay if I wanted it, and made sure I had food occasionally in exchange for helping him build stuff. I owe him for that, even though he says we're even."

"Wow." Mike shot Chuck a grin. No matter how gruff Jacob acted, he had a soft spot for kids and strays.

"Dad was a programmer too, he taught me the basics. And I forget what Mom did." Chuck smiled nostalgically, leaning against the arm rest. "Something to do with Intel. I realised after they threw me in the KaneCo Orphanage that they probably uncovered something. Hence the accident."

There were a lot of 'accidents' up in Deluxe, for a city of such safety and security. 

"I'm sorry." Mike murmured. He didn't remember his parents; his earliest memories were of the Orphanage itself. He wondered if he and Chuck had been in the Orphanage at the same time, or if Mike had already joined the Junior Cadets by that point. In another lifetime, they might have met and become friends earlier.

Chuck shrugged, but Mike could tell he appreciated the words anyway. "It was a long time ago. Uncle D never liked Dad, didn't think he was good enough for 'his Big Sister', I remember them fighting over it, before Uncle D moved down here and became the Duke. I think he tried to get them to move out of Deluxe, but Mom was stubborn."

He tugged on his blond hair, looking at it for a moment. "I’m more like Dad. Mom was more like Duke, tall and loud, always the life of the party. Dad was quieter, he didn’t like dealing with people much, but I remember them laughing as they danced, Mom was a half a head taller than Dad, so she’d spin him instead, the two of them laughing...” 

Chuck smiled quietly before his expression fell. “Ï haven’t thought about them in a long time.”

Mike swallowed, his throat tight. “Thank you for sharing them with me.” He said, voice slightly rough. 

Chuck laughed. “Thanks for letting me ramble.” He grinned, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. “I don’t really miss them that much.” Chuck admitted, then gave a nervous laugh. “I mean, it took a while, but I’ve got a new family now. You, Jacob, Dutch, Roth, Julie, Texas. Even the cars. The Burners, man. We’re family. That means a **lot** to me, you know?”

“Yeah.” Mike nodded. “It means a lot to me too.” It meant the World to Mike. While it was their mission to take down Kane, Mike didn’t know what he would do if any of the Burners were seriously hurt. Or worse, killed. 

“Right.” Chuck said decisively, slapping his leg. “So no more trying to shove me off to the Duke. I mean seriously, Bro. He didn’t even recognise me until now and we’ve seen him _how_ many times?”

“You’ve got a point.” Mike agreed, feeling better about it. He pressed the pedal down a little harder, picking up speed. “So, home?”

“Home, Bro” Chuck grinned back. “Let’s go home.”

-fin-


End file.
